August is National ASC Month

August is National Ambulatory Surgery Center Month. Did you know Iredell Health System provides ASC care in three locations? Wait — What is an ASC, anyways?

In the 1960s, healthcare professionals and government leaders began conceptualizing a plan to revolutionize outpatient surgery through affordability, accessibility, and quality. By February 12, 1970, the first Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) was opened in Phoenix, AZ. Twenty-one years later, on October 29, 1991, Iredell Surgical Center opened its doors to the people of Iredell and surrounding counties. Today, Iredell Health System boasts three ASC locations.

ASCs are highly regulated health care facilities that provide outpatient surgery and preventive care. Because they are highly specialized and function on a much smaller scale, they can provide services at a much lower price than in a traditional hospital setting. These centers are designed only for surgeries, so the turnover rate is much higher than that of a hospital outpatient surgery department. The cost of care is also three to four times less on average.

“Let’s say you use local anesthetic. A hospital can bill for that vial of anesthetic. In the ASC world, insurance companies allocate a certain amount per surgery case,” explained Damon Hays, DPM, Vice President of Iredell Physician Network. “Our profit margins are very small compared to a hospital. If we open something up and we waste it, we don’t get reimbursed.”

Most acute, non-emergent surgeries can be handled at an ASC. This may include eye, foot, gynecological, or hand surgeries. For more complex cases or patients with comorbidities, patients are generally referred to a traditional hospital surgical suite. A high BMI, COPD, asthma, or diabetes are examples of comorbidities that would require a patient to seek care at a hospital.

“The chances of someone having a reaction due to comorbidities is very low, but our solution would be transporting to the hospital. That’s critical time,” said Hays.

Patients having procedures at ASCs typically are impressed with the comfortable environment and minimal time in post-op.

“You walk right in the front door to the desk, you sit there, you have a procedure, you’re picked up around the back, and you’re gone. The future of surgery is with ASCs. Before, when you told me you were going to have a hip done at an ASC, I would have laughed. Now, our staff members’ loved ones are having those done all the time in ASCs.”

Iredell Health System’s ASC in Mooresville – Iredell Surgery at Mooresville – was recently placed in the top 99^th percentile in the country for patient satisfaction. They also received the 2024 Excellence in Healthcare award for overall quality of care. While August may be National ASC Month, their compassion, dedication, and skill deserve to be recognized every month of the year.

“ASCs are the unsung heroes of surgery,” said Hays. “Our teams work incredibly hard in a fast-paced environment and don’t always get the recognition they deserve.”

Iredell Health System operates two ASCs in Statesville – Iredell Surgical Center and Iredell Ambulatory Surgery Center – and the aforementioned location in Mooresville. For more information, visit iredellhealth.org/services/ambulatory-surgery.